I hear what you are saying, and I’ve been there with a friend who continues to make bad choices and then cry about the logical results of those choices. However, it’s not that difficult to just say, “That sounds rough. I’m sorry you’re going through that.” There is absolutely no need to be a judgemental asshole about it. Asking, “Are you looking for advice or sympathy?” is super easy. Listening is super easy. You have to ask yourself why you are getting butthurt if somebody doesn’t immediately take your advice or deal with life the exact same way you do.
Most people, especially women, crave connection. We want to feel seen and understood. Cutting us off to provide a quick solution feels as if you really just want us to shut up so you can go back to whatever you were doing.
My husband absolutely adored these because they were wholesome with no gratuitous sex or violence. He was a conservative Christian and these were some of the few shows he could really enjoy unreservedly. (I doubt he would have been pleased to see a gay story, though. He’s not around to ask, unfortunately.)
I find them predictable and banal. But to each his own. He would watch a Hallmark movie in one room and I’d be in the other room watching Criminal Minds or something LOL
I disagree with the conclusion. My experience is anecdotal, of course, but I’ll share. I’m a gamer female with a husband and grown son. Husband is gone now, but the three of us gamed quite extensively together and separately for years, playing various MMORPGs and MOBAs, among other things. My son is exceptionally good at gaming, I am mediocre and consider myself a proud “filthy casual,” and my husband was absolute dogshit - to the point I had to leave my chair and go help him by taking over the controls to get him past certain difficult hurdles (and my son does the same for me on occasion).
My husband’s ego was never threatened by this. He never took his frustration out on me. Why? Because he was a decent person who was confident in his masculinity.
In the end, lack of skill does not cause misogyny. I believe misogyny springs from the same source as the lack of skill: a tiny brain.
It’s fascinating how we anthropomorphize objects like this. My Roomba got stuck on some cables underneath my TV table and when I found it, it was making a sad sound that just broke my heart. As I picked it up, I found myself saying, “There, there little Roomba, I’ll rescue you and get you some juice. Poor thing.”
It’s a natural part of life but so is pooping and I don’t want to watch anybody do that on screen either. Fade to black. Same with extreme violence. These things can be an important part of the story without being shown graphically.